Thursday, 27 February 2025

Register

News

Posted On

“Stripy” the cat, who continues to make his home temporarily at the Symphony WIne Club Barn in Kelseyville, Calif. Courtesy photo.


KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Members of the Symphony Wine Club are attempting to locate the owners of a friendly cat who they found following the Mendocino Complex evacuation.

When Bill and Melanie Fine returned to their home near Highland Springs Road and Bell Hill Road after the evacuation order was lifted, they were welcomed by a starving young cat, on the roof of their barn, which is usually only visited by fellow members of the Symphony Wine Club.

“This is where we get together to process grapes and make wine for our yearly WInefest that supports the Lake County Symphony,” said Bill Fine.

No club members had visited the barn for a while and it was obvious the cat was yowling with hunger and asking for help, Fine said.

“He was maybe 4 months old and very weak and skinny. We are not sure how long he had been near our place, because we were out of the country when the fires were going on,” Fine explained.

After a good meal, and some ear rubs, it was apparent that this was no feral cat. “He was very friendly and really wanted to be in the house,” said Fine.

They gave him the name “Stripy,“ and waited for someone to come looking for him.

“He is really sweet and someone must be missing him,” said Melanie Fine. “Unfortunately, we cannot keep him. We already have a cat and they do not get along.”

In the meantime, they are feeding Stripy and he has access to the barn for a safe place to sleep.

Stripy’s photograph is posted on the Lakeport Animal Control website with a ”found” date of Aug. 5.

Bill Fine can be reached at 510-375-6171.
Posted On

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A wildland fire first reported on Saturday afternoon has begun to spread rapidly and has led to a call for evacuations in and around Berryessa Estates in Napa County.

The Snell fire was first reported shortly after 2:30 p.m. by a resident in the Jerusalem Valley area near Middletown, according to radio reports.

Cal Fire said the blaze is located in the area of Butts Canyon and Snell Valley roads, seven miles southeast of Middletown.

Firefighters accessed the fire off of Butts Canyon Road at Snell Valley Ranch, finding it to be about 10 acres and pushed by a west wind when they first arrived shortly after 2:45 p.m.

Within a half hour, the fire was up to between 20 and 30 acres, with a fast to dangerous rate of spread and more air resource requested.

Several tankers as well as Cal Fire’s Copter 101 and Copter 104 were working the fire according to www.flightradar24.com .

Just after 3:30 p.m. incident command estimated the fire was up to 35 acres and was located three-quarters of a mile northwest of the Berryessa Estates, a subdivision of close to 200 homes on Putah Creek north of Lake Berryessa in Napa County.

Less than 15 minutes later, the Napa County Sheriff’s Office issued a Nixle alert for a mandatory evacuation of Snell Valley Road, all roads to Snell Valley and Berryessa Estates.

At 3:50 p.m., the fire was reported to be 200 acres, with spotting ahead of the main fire, according to reports from incident command.

At that point incident command requested 10 four-wheel-drive engines to access the fire and 10 other engines to protect structures in Berryessa Estates.

At 4:20 p.m., incident command reported the fire was holding at 250 acres.

By 5 p.m., incident command reported that the fire was up to 400 acres, it had spotted across Putah Creek and was moving away from Berryessa Estates, with the potential to grow to 5,000 acres.

At 5:15 p.m., the Napa County Sheriff’s Office issued an additional evacuation order, this time for the west side of Berryessa Knoxville Road from the Pope Creek bridge to the county line.

Temporary flight restrictions have been put in effect in the fire area, according to radio reports.

Authorities said Snell Valley Road has been closed to inbound traffic, with one-way traffic outbound only.

The Napa County Sheriff’s Office said an evacuation center for residents of Snell Valley Road and Berryessa Estates has been set up at the Pope Valley Farm Center, 5800 Pope Valley Road.

This story will continue to be updated on an going basis.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Posted On

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The 23rd annual Nome Cult walk from Chico to Round Valley will start Sunday, Sept. 9.

The 100-mile trek follows the route that Indians were forced to march from Chico to the Nome Cult Reservation in 1863.

Descendants of Native Americans who took part in the original relocation and other supporters walk the route each year.

Although the path itself has disappeared, this route is now called the Nome Cult Trail.

The theme of the walk is “Honor their memory…a path not forgotten.”

Their planned schedule is:

· Sunday, Sept. 9: Begin walk toward Orland.
· Monday, Sept. 10: Walk toward Newville Cemetery.
· Tuesday, Sept. 11: Walk to Black Bear Campground.
· Wednesday, Sept. 12: Continue to Log Springs.
· Thursday, Sept. 13: On to Wells Cabin.
· Friday, Sept. 14: Walk to Eel River.
· Saturday, Sept. 15: Finish walk to Round Valley Indian Reservation.

The removal of Indians from Chico to the Nome Cult Reservation in 1863 is one of the many forced relocations following the establishment of reservations in Northern California in the 1850s.

Several different tribes were moved to the Nome Cult Reservation after it was established in Round Valley in 1856.

The Mendocino National Forest asks that people traveling on roads along the trail route – M4, County Road 55 and FH7 into Eel River Station and Covelo – be mindful of the event and careful of the walkers to ensure their safety.
Blog Left ad
Posted On

On Saturday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation – SB 834 by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) and AB 1775 by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) – to block new federal offshore oil drilling along California’s coast, and announced the state’s opposition to the federal government’s plan to expand oil drilling on public lands in California.

“Today, California’s message to the Trump administration is simple: Not here, not now,” said Gov. Brown. “We will not let the federal government pillage public lands and destroy our treasured coast.”

This action comes days before grassroots activists, mayors, governors, heads of industry and international leaders convene in San Francisco for the express purpose of mobilizing climate action at the Global Climate Action Summit.

SB 834 and AB 1775 block the Trump administration’s plan to expand offshore oil drilling by prohibiting new leases for new construction of oil and gas-related infrastructure, such as pipelines, within state waters if the federal government authorizes any new offshore oil leases.

“From the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill to the 2015 Refugio spill, I represent a community that knows all too well the devastation oil spills can bring to our economy and environment. I’m very pleased to see this legislation signed into law, because we’ve always known, that if we don’t drill, it can’t spill,” said Senator Jackson.

The bills also require new public notices and processes for lease renewals, extension amendments or modifications to authorize new construction of oil and gas-related infrastructure associated with new federal leases. There has been no federal expansion of oil and gas drilling along California’s coastline for more than 30 years.

“With the signing of AB 1775 and SB 834, California is fighting back against the Trump administration’s plan to expand offshore oil drilling off California’s coast. We are standing up to protect the South Bay in my district and our state’s entire coast from the threat of more offshore oil drilling and ugly oil rigs. I thank Governor Brown for leading the resistance and Senator Jackson for working with me to protect our state’s multibillion dollar coastal economy and beautiful beaches and coastline,” said Assemblymember Muratsuchi.

Separately, late Friday the governor submitted the state’s formal opposition to the Bureau of Land Management’s proposal to open new public land and mineral estates for oil and gas lease sales.

“It has been more than twenty years since the Bureau of Land Management last expanded the availability of federal public lands and mineral estates for oil and gas leases in the Central Valley and Central Coast of California. Since then, the world’s understanding of the threats of climate change has greatly advanced and, in many cases, these threats have become reality,” said Gov. Brown in his letter to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. “The Bureau’s proposal to open up new areas of the state to oil and gas production demonstrates an ignorance of these critical developments, and is contrary to the course California has set to combat climate change and to meet its share of the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement. The Bureau should abandon this effort and not pursue opening any new areas for oil and gas leases in this state.”

In addition to the governor’s letter, the state also included comments on the proposal from the California Department of Conservation, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Department of Water Resources, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the California Air Resources Board and the State Water Resources Control Board.

Earlier this year, Gov. Brown joined Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Washington Governor Jay Inslee to condemn the Trump administration’s proposal to expand oil and gas offshore drilling.

The governor has also voiced California’s opposition to this proposal in discussions with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior in January and February.

In late 2016, Gov. Brown called on the federal government to use its authority under Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to withdraw federal waters off the coast of California from new offshore oil and gas leasing and guarantee the prohibition of future oil and gas drilling in these waters.

On Saturday, the governor also signed AB 2864 by Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) which will improve the assessment of damage and restoration and mitigation measures after an oil spill affecting coastal resources.

For full text of the bills signed today, visit http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. The full text of the Governor’s letter, with the state’s comments on the proposal submitted yesterday, can be found here.
Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Coastal Cleanup Day is coming to Clear Lake on Saturday, Sept. 15.

This is the perfect opportunity for Lake County citizen volunteers to help clean shorelines and prevent trash from entering the lake and degrading the aquatic environment.

Coastal Cleanup day involves more than marine beaches, as shorelines exist along any lake or waterbody, such as Clear Lake.

Started in 1985 by the California Coastal Commission, Coastal Cleanup day is one of the largest volunteer events in the US involving more than 60,000 volunteers each year.

Since its inception, Coastal Cleanup day has resulted in the removal of 23 million pounds of trash from public beaches, lakes, and waterways.

Volunteers are encouraged to participate at any of the five shoreline locations within the County.

Materials such as gloves and trash bags will be provided. Kayakers and boaters are also strongly encouraged to participate as trash can be found on land and in the water.

Want to go green? Bring your own bucket or reusable bags to help collect trash and save the landfill from more plastic.

If you or someone you know would like to participate in Coastal Cleanup Day, report to any of the following locations on Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Upper Arm

– Keeling County Park, 3000 Carson St., Nice.
– Rodman Slough County Park, 1635 Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road, Lakeport.

Lower Arm

– Clear Lake Campground, 7805 Cache Creek Way, Clearlake.
– Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce, 14295 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake.
– Pomo Elementary School; specific spot is between Vista and Ciwa streets on Arrowhead Road, Clearlake.

This event has been made possible by a partnership between Lake County Water Resources, Citizens Caring for Clear Lake and the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, as well as local event supporters C&S Waste Solutions, Caltrans and Lake County Public Services.

If you have questions or need more information please feel free to contact Lake County Water Resources at 707-263-2344, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or message the agency on Facebook @lakecountywater.
Posted On



What's up for September? Set your sights beyond the solar system, and take a late summertime road-trip along the Milky Way.

The waning days of summer are upon us, and the sun sets earlier, revealing the starry sky bisected by the Milky Way. While waiting for the Milky Way, check out 2018's outstanding views of the planets.

You'll have to look quickly after sunset to catch Venus. And through binoculars or a telescope, you'll see Venus's phase change dramatically during September – from nearly half phase to a larger thinner crescent! Jupiter, Saturn and Mars continue their brilliant appearances this month. Look southwest after sunset.

Use the summer constellations help you trace the Milky Way. Sagittarius: where stars and some brighter clumps appear as steam from the teapot. Aquila: where the Eagle's bright Star Altair, combined with Cygnus's Deneb, and Lyra's Vega mark the Summer Triangle. Cassiopeia, the familiar "w"-shaped constellation completes the constellation trail through the Summer Milky Way. Binoculars will reveal double stars, clusters and nebulae.

Between Sept. 12 and 20, watch the moon pass from near Venus, above Jupiter, to the left of Saturn and finally above Mars! Both Neptune and brighter Uranus can be spotted with some help from a telescope this month. Look at about 1 a.m. local time or later in the southeastern sky. You can find Mercury just above Earth's eastern horizon shortly before sunrise. Use the moon as your guide on Sept. 8.

And although there are no major meteor showers in September, cometary dust appears in another late summer sight, the morning Zodiacal light. Try looking for it in the east on moonless mornings very close to sunrise.

To learn more about the Zodiacal light, watch "What's Up" from March 2018.

You can catch up on all of NASA's current-and future-missions at www.nasa.gov .

Jane Houston Jones is with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
Posted On



One of the key elements of Earth’s climate system is the cryosphere – the many forms of ice found on Earth.

Two new NASA missions use different technologies to help scientists better understand how frozen water is affecting our planet.

Both will continue satellite data records that have greatly improved our understanding of Earth’s frozen regions.

Meet GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO), and ICESat-2.

The GRACE-FO mission, which launched on May 22, 2018 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is a partnership with the German Research Centre for Geosciences.

Like the preceding GRACE mission, which operated from 2002-2017, the pair of GRACE-FO satellites measure minute variations in Earth’s gravitational field to determine how mass is moving around our planet over time.

Dr. Frank Webb, GRACE-FO project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) explains, “GRACE-FO’s measurements show the migration of mass from one place on Earth to another - which regions of Earth are gaining mass and which are losing. It is sensitive enough to see small changes in the distribution of ice and water, which allows us to understand the trends and drivers of the water cycle, including the contributions of the ice sheets to sea level rise.”

As ice sheets melt, they lose mass, which slightly alters Earth’s gravity, changing the forces controlling the orbits of the satellites.

The two GRACE-FO satellites orbit ~135 miles (220 km) from one another, with one satellite leading the other. If the lead satellite encounters a change in gravity, its speed changes as does its relative distance to the trailing satellite.

Microwaves and lasers are used to measure the tiny changes in distance between the two satellites in a constant game of cat and mouse.

By taking measurements of multiple passes over the same location, scientists can create maps of that location’s gravitational field.

Over Earth’s frozen regions, this information shows where ice sheets and glaciers are gaining or losing mass.

While GRACE-FO gives a global view of changes in the distribution of mass on Earth, ICESat-2 will provide complementary measurements of ice sheet height.

ICESat-2, which is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2018, is a single satellite operated out of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center that uses its laser to shoot beams of light to Earth. Scientists can determine a location’s elevation by measuring the travel time of these laser pulses.

The original ICESat mission, which operated from 2003-2010, used a single laser beam. ICESat-2 uses 6 beams to improve accuracy and resolution.

Using 6 beams gives scientists multiple points of data within the laser’s footprint, allowing them to measure the slope of an area and then separate static slope data from the area’s changes in elevation over time.

Why is this elevation information important? Dr. Thorsten Markus, chief of the Cryospheric Sciences Lab at Goddard explains, “ICESat-2’s orbit repeats measurements every 90 days, which allows us to see change while also helping to determine the drivers of that change. For example, is melting in one region balanced by snowfall in another?”

Grace-FO and ICESat-2 will be the newest NASA missions being used to study the cryosphere and its role in the Earth system. In addition to their cryospheric objectives, these satellites provide important insight into the behavior of other Earth system components, like changes in underground stored water for GRACE-FO and ecosystem structure for ICESat-2.

The ability of these sensors to address multiple Earth system components is a good example of how NASA treats the Earth as a complex, interacting system.

To learn more about the cryosphere and other cool science topics, visit http://science.nasa.gov.
Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Many residents of Lake and Napa counties noticed an unusual sight on Friday morning when a commercial airplane began circling repeatedly overhead.

Hawaiian Airlines 19 left Sacramento International Airport, or SMF, shortly before 7:30 a.m. en route to Honolulu, according to the airlines’ Web site.

However, over the course of the next hour and a half the plane was seen to circle over Lake and Napa counties around half a dozen times, according to the plane tracking Web site,
www.flightradar24.com .

Later on Friday, Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson Alex Da Silva explained in an email response to Lake County News’ inquiry about the situation that the plane eventually returned to the Sacramento airport.

“About 45 minutes into the flight to Honolulu, HA19 returned to SMF to have a cockpit indicator light inspected,” Da Silva said. “No emergency was declared, and the flight landed without incident.”

Da Silva said passengers subsequently deplaned and the flight was rescheduled.

Hawaiian Airlines 19 was set to depart again at 7:25 a.m. Saturday but is being delayed until 3 p.m., according to the Hawaiian Airlines Web site.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Posted On

One of the dams on the Potter Valley Project in Northern California. Photo courtesy of Pacific Gas and Electric.


NORTH COAST, Calif. – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. on Thursday began the auction process for soliciting proposals from parties interested in purchasing its Potter Valley Project, a hydroelectric facility in Mendocino and Lake counties.

The Potter Valley Project consists of two dams along the upper Main Stem Eel River, a powerhouse in Potter Valley, and about 5,600 acres of land, including Lake Pillsbury in Lake County.

PG&E acquired the Potter Valley Project in 1930, according to PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras. The Cape Horn Dam and powerhouse were built from 1905 to 1908, and the Scott Dam (forms Lake Pillsbury) was built 1920-21 and increased by 10 feet in height in 1925.

PG&E is in the second year of the minimum five-year process of obtaining a new operating license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, for the project. PG&E will continue to own, operate and relicense the project throughout the auction process.

The new owner will take over the relicensing process after the project sale and transfer is complete.

The current FERC license expires in 2022, but the Potter Valley Project will continue to operate on annual licenses if the relicensing process goes beyond the current license expiration date.

Contreras said the project did not sustain any damage from the Mendocino Complex. There is not a lot of vegetation near the dam, however, PG&E took precautions to protect the facilities and outbuildings in the area, including clearing vegetation and pre-treating all buildings with fire retardant.

PG&E announced it would auction the project last May, and Thursday’s action begins the marketing phase of the auction process.

The company is using a “request for offers” type of auction process that is intended to meet the needs of both seller and buyer – and considers other factors in addition to price.

There is no starting asking price, Contreras said.

“PG&E wants to find a new owner with the appropriate qualifications and experience to operate the project in a safe and compliant fashion. The project has unique characteristics and we believe they have the potential to yield significant value for the right owner,” said Alvin Thoma, Senior Director of Power Generation at PG&E.

The project diverts about one-fifth of the average annual flow of the upper Main Stem Eel River at Van Arsdale Reservoir through a tunnel and penstock to a powerhouse located in Potter Valley where it is used to generate electricity.

The Potter Valley Project and Lake Pillsbury in Lake County, Calif. Photo courtesy of Pacific Gas and Electric.


The amount of water diverted by the project represents only 2 percent of the total flow of the Eel River at its mouth.

Before it is diverted, some of the water is collected during the wet season and stored in Lake Pillsbury for later release – also providing lake-based recreation opportunities.

After the diverted water leaves the Potter Valley Powerhouse, it enters a canal and the East Branch of the Russian River, where it provides water to farms and communities in southern Mendocino and northern Sonoma counties as well as improving fish habitat in the Russian River.

Per the conditions of the project’s operating license, water flows in the upper Main Stem Eel River below the Van Arsdale Reservoir are managed to closely mimic the upper Main Stem Eel River’s natural flow.

PG&E is seeking a new owner for the project as it no longer serves as an economical source of electricity generation for its customers.

The Potter Valley Project is far from PG&E’s other hydroelectric facilities and regional headquarters, making it especially costly for PG&E to operate.

An increasingly competitive energy market, lower generation needs forecasted on PG&E’s system, and the increasing cost of operating the facilities were all factors in PG&E’s decision.

Depending on how many proposals are received and need to be evaluated, PG&E expects to select proposals and begin formal negotiations with a buyer by mid-2019.

If all goes well, the sale and transfer of the project could be completed within one-and-a-half to two years, PG&E said.

Approval by FERC and the California Public Utilities Commission will be needed prior to transfer of ownership.



The Potter Valley Project powerhouse in Potter Valley, Calif. Photo courtesy of Pacific Gas and Electric.
Posted On

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A fire that began Saturday afternoon and threatened homes in Napa County has continued to grow, with mandatory evacuations remaining in place.

The Snell fire was up to 1,700 acres and 10-percent contained on Saturday night, according to Cal Fire.

The fire is burning near the Berryessa Estate subdivision, located on Putah Creek north of Lake Berryessa in Napa County.

It was first reported at 2:29 p.m. and was accessed in the area of Butts Valley and Snell Valley Roads, according to radio and Cal Fire reports.

The fire is burning in grassy oak woodlands with a moderate rate of spread and spotting observed. Cal Fire said conditions are hot and dry, and the fire is in a remote location with difficult access.

There are 180 structures threatened but so far none damaged or destroyed, Cal Fire said.

Authorities called for mandatory evacuations on the west side of Berryessa Knoxville Road from Pope Creek Bridge to the Lake-Napa County line, Snell Valley Road and all roads to Snell Valley and Berryessa Estates.

Berryessa Knoxville Road from Putah Creek Bridge north to the County line and Snell Valley Road at the intersection of Butts Canyon Road are closed, Cal Fire said.

An evacuation center has been set up at Pope Valley Farm Center, 5800 Pope Valley Road.

Cal Fire said 60 engines, six water tenders, six fire crews, four helicopters, nine bulldozers, 10 air tankers and 382 personnel are assigned to the incident.

The cause remains under investigation, Cal Fire said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The county of Lake announced that its Mendocino Complex recovery coordinator is continuing to hold office hours in an effort to reach out to fire survivors.

In the aftermath of the Ranch and River fires, the largest wildfire event in California’s history, the county of Lake recognizes that each individual’s recovery journey is unique.

County residents are at various stages. As the process develops, needs can become numerous, detailed and difficult to navigate.

Since Tuesday, Sept. 5, Lake County Recovery Coordinator Nathan Spangler has been meeting county residents where they are, holding office hours throughout the County.

“It has been a privilege to sit with individual property owners, in their time of great need, and provide some clarity and direction,” said Spangler. “I want to help connect Ranch and River fire survivors with the resources they need to heal, to fully recover from this terrible event.”

Spangler will be available 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, Sept. 10, through Friday, Sept. 21, at the following locations:

· Mondays, Sept. 10 and Sept. 17, the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Community Center, 9460 Main St., Upper Lake;

· Wednesdays, Sept. 12 and Sept. 19, Scotts Valley Women’s Club, 2298 Hendricks Road, Lakeport;

· Thursdays, Sept. 13 and Sept. 20, Spring Valley Community Center, 1300 Wolf Creek Road, Clearlake Oaks;

· Fridays, Sept. 14 and Sept. 21, Nylander Park Visitor Center, 12588 Acorn St., Clearlake Oaks.

“Whatever your recovery-related needs are right now, you are not alone,” said Spangler. “I hope to see many of you, and will happily do all I can to help make your next steps a little clearer.”

Spangler can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and 916-521-7108.
Posted On

North Coast Opportunities staff at the Mendocino Complex Local Assistance Center in Lucerne, Calif., in August 2018. Courtesy photo.


NORTH COAST, Calif. – The application deadline for the North Coast Opportunities Inc. 2018 Wildfire Relief Fund is Sept. 14.

NCO has collected nearly 1,000 applications from those who suffered a range of hardships, including total home losses, partial home losses or evacuation losses from the Pawnee fire, Eel fire or Mendocino Complex fire.

Applications may be requested by calling 707-467-3200, Extension 236 or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

“We just disbursed our first batch of checks, in the amount of $1,000.00, to those who experienced a total loss,“ said NCO Chief Financial Officer Carolyn Welch. “We’ve assembled an excellent disaster response team this year and we’re processing applications as swiftly as possible.”

The disaster response team will continue prioritizing total loss fire survivors, after which they will shift focus to those who experienced a partial loss.

If funds remain, those who suffered a evacuation loss will be considered. Donations will be accepted throughout the year and will be reserved for long-term recovery needs.

NCO is now in its fifth year of responding to fires and remains devoted to supporting Lake and Mendocino counties rebuild.

Multiple fires impacting the same regions has created layers of trauma, environmental devastation, and compounding financial hardship.

“We know the impacts of this year’s fire season are tremendous,” said Executive Director Patty Bruder. “We wish we could help everyone. We know the thousands of residents who experienced evacuations are suffering financially too. The emotional trauma and loss have hit our communities hard.”

To support those who were evacuated, NCO has established two distribution centers open to all fire survivors.

“We have food, clothing, household and hygiene items, and baby items,” said Bruder. “These distribution centers are intended to help those impacted by providing replacement items quickly.”

The Lakeport Distribution Center is located at 785 Bevins St. and is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 707-972-0519 for more information.

The Mendocino County Distribution Center is open daily at 8465 East Road in Redwood Valley. Call 707-489-3970 for hours.

In addition, NCO disaster case managers may be able to assist fire survivors by providing information, resources, and support with the rebuilding process.

Contact a Lake County disaster case manager directly at 707-994-2910, or a Mendocino County disaster case manager at 707-621-8817.

NCO is the Community Action Agency that serves Lake and Mendocino counties, as well as parts of Humboldt, Sonoma, Del Norte and Solano counties. NCO reacts to community needs, including disaster response.

This year NCO celebrates 50 years of community action and was named the 2018 nonprofit of the year.

For more information visit www.ncoinc.org or call 707-467-3200.

LCNews

Responsible local journalism on the shores of Clear Lake.

 

Memberships:

 

Search